Attachment anxiety and loneliness during the first-year of college: Self-esteem and social support as mediators

Abstract

In addition to the growing evidence that anxious attachment positively predicts loneliness, theory and research suggest that individuals' own cognitive filters (e.g., self-esteem), as well as support from their social networks, play a role in decreasing feelings of loneliness. In this study, we explored whether attachment anxiety at the beginning of the first-year in college (T1) predicted loneliness at the end of the year (T2), specifically via self-esteem and social support, using a sample of 96 female first-year college students. A series of hierarchical regression models revealed that attachment anxiety was positively associated with loneliness, and that these associations were mediated by both self-esteem and various dimensions of social support. Findings expand our understanding of the link between attachment and loneliness during the transition to college.